Relay



Jan. 10, 1933. D. MOD. BROUGHTON RELAY V Filed Nov. 9, 1929 N Fig.4

Patented .Ian. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES DENIS MCDONNELL BROUGHTON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND RELAY Application filed November 9, 1929, Serial No. 406,048, and in Great Britain November 9, 1928.

This invention relates to an improved electrical relay with the object of attalmng the combination of high sensitivity and ease of adjustment.

5 According to the invention I provide a balanced armature located between and parallel with the arms of a horseshoe magnet and; suitably pivoted so that it may oscillate between the poles, to which are attachedextension pieces to concentrate the magnetic flux. A coil for controlling the movement of the armature encircles the latter and is located between the arms of the magnet. I further provide a magnetic shunt for controlling the disposition of the magnetic field. This shunt conveniently consists of an adjustable'bridge piece of suitable metal making contact wlth both arms of the magnet. In order to attain the necessary delicacy of adjustment between the armature and its abutting contacts,

mechanism is provided whereby movement ap lied for ad ustment purposes is suitably re need to movement of less extent between the actual contacts. This may be obtained by lever or cam means as will be later described and two forms of contact adjusting mechanism will be described with reference to the drawing.

The mechanism is preferably enclosed in a .0 casing which may take the form of a brass casting, the magnetic shunt being mounted and pivoted in the lid or cover and furnished with an operating and registering pointer on the exterior working in conjunction with a scale. Thus when the cover is in position the bridge piece makes contact with the magnet arms.

This construction provides a strong mechanism of extreme sensitivity and ease of adjustment.

It will be appreciated that the magnetic shunt enables the instrument to be adapted to function with exterior circuits of widely differing electrical values, since the bias of the armature to either magnetic pole may be adjusted within wide limits and consequently the strength of current necessary to overcome this bias will vary accordingly.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic plan View of the general assembly of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lid of the mechanism showing the pointer whereby adj ustment is effected and its co-operating scale.

Fig. 3 is a section of one form of adjustable contact device.

Fig. 4 is a section of another form of adj ustable contact device.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the permanent magnet A encloses the operating coil T, in the centre of which is the armature F, which is freely pivoted between the magnet poles to which are attached pole extension pieces U1 and U2, the function of which is to concentrate the magnetic flux in the immediate neighbourhood of the end of the armature. The latter is freely pivoted within the coil T.

The disposition of the magnetic field is controlled by means of the magnetic shunt B centrally and radially mountedat 'C and when the cover E is in place serves to adjust the disposition of the field with regard to the poles of the magnet accordin to its adjustment which is determined and registered by the pointer D on the exterior of the cover E. This provides a simple and very sensitive method of adjustment for the balancing of the armature between its two contacts.

The mechanism is contained within a box casing H and enclosed by the lid E. The screw V holds the magnet rigid-within the casing and permits its easy withdrawal when required. The armature weight X serves to 85 balance the armature about its axis Y.

Referring to Fig. 3, delicate adjustment of the. armature contacts may be obtained by forming the contact points H half way up a leaf I seeuredat the bottom and acted upon ous that e centre of the leaf spring will only travel half the extent of the travel of l the top of the leaf spring and thus adjustment applied to the top of the leaf spring b means of the adjusting screw J will be re need in extent by half at the pointof contact H the proportionate distance of the points of contact and adjustment from the fulcrum L may of course be arranged to meet particular conditions.

A still more delicate arrangement is shown in F' 4, in which the sliding contact member id is held against the tapered screw N passing through the passage 0 in the member M and en 'ng with the threaded hole P in the base by means of thslflpring R.

Thus adjustment of N vary the point of contact S upon the taper and minute lonmature at its end remote from said contacts,

a shaft located beyond said coil and between said weight and said contacts, said armature being pivotally mounted on the shaft, and a ma etic shunt pivotally mounted relative to sa1 arms and rotatable in a plane parallel to the plane of said magnet.

In testimony whereof he has signed his name to this specification.

DENIS MODONNELL BROUGHTON.

gitudinal movement -of the sliding contact member M will-result.

I claim 1. A polarized relay comprising a permanent magnet having two arms, a pair of pole pieces secured one to each of said arms, a hollow coil located between said arms, a pair of stationary contacts located ad'acent said poleieces, a pivotally moun armature exten ing through said coil and between said pole pieces and said contacts and a magnetic shunt pivotally mounted relatively to said arms, said magnetic shunt bein rotatable in a plane arallel to the plane 0 said magnet, where y when said shunt is oscillated about its centre it serves simultaneously to increase and decrease the direction and mag; nitude of the operative field strength throug said armature.

2. A polarized relay comprising a permanent magnet having two arms, a pair of pole ieces secured one to each of said arms, a l iollow coil located between said arms, a pair of stations. contacts located ad'acent said pole piecesjlZverage-reducing mec anism for adjusting said contacts, a ivotally-mounted armature extending throug said coil and between said pole pieces and said contacts, a

balance weight secured to said armature at its end remote from said contacts, a shaft located beyond said coil and between said weight and said contacts, said armature being pivotally mounted on the shaft, and a magnetic shunt being rotatable in a. plane parallel to the plane of said magnet.

3. A polarized relay comprising a permanent magnet having two arms, a pair of pole pieces secured one to each of said arms, a hollow coil located between said arms, a pair of stationary contacts located ad'acent said pole pieces, leverage-reducin mec anism for adjusting said contacts, sai mechanism including a pair of springs secured at one of their ends in a fixed position, said contacts being mounted at about the mid-point of said 

